Happy Holidays - Sunburst Muffins

It's a beautiful sunny morning in Northern California ... unlike the blistery cold snowy Christmas morns I spent in Big Bear.  Somehow it seemed appropriate to celebrate the annual return of the Sun with a bright vibrant navel orange. I remembered a coffee cake that my mother used to make ... pulverizing an entire orange, adding in walnuts, cinnamon and sour cream.

I carefully chose my fruit and nuts, deciding on making muffins instead. And it was so therapeutic crushing those almond shells.  Thanks to Post Punk Kitchen for the basic recipe.

Sunburst Muffins

2 cups organic unbleached flour
2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Himalayan salt
1 large orange
 1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped dates

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
Zest and juice orange. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add canola oil, orange juice, zest, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix just until all wet ingredients are moistened. Add chopped almonds and dates.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, sprinkle tops with coarse sugar, and bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean.